Sagas and Disappointments

We so loved our trip to the mountains and the snow. But alas, this will not be our time to move, so much for the Christmas present of a job, but we do still have a week left to go. We thrive on faith and hope, it makes the day go by better. Fuzzy is depressed about the lack/loss of snow too. I did get to apply for a professional job this week. It is so rarely that I can find one of those. The theme for the week is "But if not . . ." and we go on.

The microwave started to go out in November. Its not a huge deal as we have a microwave and the house has a microwave, so there is a back-up. So, Black Saturday we went microwave shopping. We found a microwave that looked to be a little nicer than was in the house, it was on sale. Yae for us. It was at Best Buy, but it was only a microwave. We made arrangements to have it installed a week later, so that we wouldn't have to worry about any differences between the fit of the new microwave and the old microwave. Its not our house and the intent is to help it sell better down the road, so we like to make sure things are done right. So they came out and installed the microwave, no problems. We tried out the microwave for lunch, and it stopped working. We couldn't get it to heat anything up, it was making odd noises, and things didn't smell quite right. Monday morning we called Best Buy, they said go to the store. That's where things started to go wrong. We went to the store and talked to the returns counter, the lady behind the counter wasn't sure how to make the exchange arrangements so she talked to her manager. The manager referred us to the appliance manager, but nobody could find her. So we were sent over the Home Theater, who are supposed to know how to handle appliances. The Home Theater guy didn't know how to handle it, so he talked to his manager. After talking to his manager, he conferred with another salesman and we were sent over to the Geek Squad counter. The guy at the Geek Squad counter didn't know how to handle it so he talked to his manager. His manager said to call Best Buy. Oh look, now we've gone full circle. So we went back home and called Best Buy, they, of course, said we needed to talk to the store, but went through the efforts to call the store and tell them how to handle the situation. So the replacement was scheduled for the following Monday. Monday morning the delivery driver shows up with the microwave, but nobody had scheduled the installers. So we send the driver and the microwave away and call the store. They state that the person who scheduled everything made a mistake and left the install off the order. They promise to make the arrangements to get the microwave out on Wednesday. Wednesday morning comes and we call to double check on the install because we haven't heard from the installers on a time, and we're suddenly not scheduled for install until Monday. Now, we have finally made contact with the appliance manager, but she can't get the install moved up from Monday. So we decide that this is enough, we want our money back. She agrees to make the arrangements for the refund and uninstall and promises to get back with us on the details. Wednesday afternoon we call back to see when the uninstall is scheduled and find out that the app manager was rushed to the hospital since we last talked to her. So now we are forwarded on to the General Manager. She says that she can get us a microwave install on Thursday. We say, okay, go try. She gets the installer lined up just to find out that the microwave that had been delivered on Monday has been sold to someone else, which is why the install was pushed from Wednesday to Monday. Some how it had gotten sold out from under the guy we spoke to on Monday, and nobody was alerted to it. So the GM finds another microwave and sends someone out to pick it up. We get the microwave and installer in Thursday morning. We think, yae, this is finally over. The installer looks at us and says, did they give you money off for this. After looking over the microwave, which is supposed to be new in the box, it has a large dent in back, a small bend in front, and another bend on bottom. We let him install it and call the store again. After spending 10 or more minutes on hold we get the GM again. Now we have a new microwave (number three) scheduled for delivering on Monday. We are now three weeks from the original purchase date, we do have a functioning microwave, but we are still not satisfied customers. At least we have found someone who can make things happen the way that they should. Consolation, at least by the time we get what we paid for, they will not have made any money on the sale. It has been a royal pain though, and in spite of all unavoidable things that have gone wrong, it should not have been this bad. Customer Service is definitely worth paying for.

Hurray and Wait

Our long drive last week is feeling worth it. The area was beautiful and Hubby and I are both homesick for the area, though we have never lived there. The interview went well and he has passed the first post interview cut. Now we wait for the final decision, which should be happening next week. We feel really good about it and hope that we will be able to move shortly after the new year. Fuzzy thoroughly enjoyed the drive. She had fun playing in the snow and I'm sure she misses it. This could be the first time, after all those years of wishing, the Hubby will actually get a new job for Christmas, and it couldn't happen to a better year. Fuzzy got treats to pose for this years Christmas picture. It made for some fuzzy pictures. She was suckering the vet out of treats yesterday with those big, fuzzy, brown eyes.

Thanksgiving

Nothing makes for a better Thanksgiving then having a potential employer call the day before. No, it wasn't the entry level job, we're still waiting, though not really, to hear about that interview. Hubby had a phone call for a "real" job, or as real as it may get for now. He has an interview next week, and we're going to have a little vacation. Its not a perfect job, but we are pretty excited about the location. For one thing, there are a lot less people living there. It will be so nice to get away from big cities and commuting again.

As for Thanksgiving, we had tons of food, still do. I wont have to cook for quite some time, and that is another thing to be thankful for. Hubby missed his chocolate pie though, so next year will have a two pie minimum. Maybe I'll figure out how to make multiple mini pies. Something to ponder for the coming year. As for the end of this year, if all goes well, it will be absolutely crazy, and that will be wonderful.

Waiting for Food

Thanksgiving is coming and my mouth is already watering, and I haven't even figured out what the menu is. We are still waiting for Hubby's interview, things never seem to go as planned. Hubby got put back into the EQP at church. Now he really wants to get a job somewhere else and move again. We both want to move back to a smaller town, we have still left our hearts back in the last town. Of course, our family would like us to move back by them, they are so predictable.

As for other things waiting, Hubby is waiting to replace the fuel pump on the vehicle. He's endeavoring really hard to make this repair go smoothly. And of course, he needs more tools.

Fuzzy is wondering where the visitors are, but she is loving the cooler weather. She is also happy to be able to gnaw on things again, especially her new tennis ball.

And it all went KABOOM

An over-riding sense of peace in life, is worth any sacrifice.

We persist on. Hubby has an interview for a low-paying, entry-level job tomorrow. YAE? It will be good for him, in many ways. So last week went something like this . . .

the house - we are trading some of rent for work-upgrades or maintenance on the house. It was decided with this month we would replace the deteriorating sink and install a nicer faucet. Way cool, I like new sinks and faucets. To make life more interesting on Friday the dishwasher leaked all of the floor and the sensor in the microwave bit the dust. So now the kitchen gets a re-plumbing. We think the dishwasher drain is just clogged, but there are some issues that don't help it stay unclogged. So we get to have that fixed. It still isn't decided what will be done with the microwave, but even if it dies tomorrow, we have two, so its not a huge loss.

the vehicle - we lost the exhaust gas valve, fuel sender, diverter door, and an oil seal. We anticipate losing the fuel pump soon. Its so exciting. So Saturday and today were spent working on the truck. Hubby had to drop the drive shaft, again. And when we put it back on this time, the vehicle developed a vibration. Just what you want to know at 8pm on Saturday. So he pulled the drive shaft off again today, third time. After much pondering, puzzling, and staring; he decided that it might be over-greased, and it was. Now vehicle is put back together and operating nicely. There are still more things to fix, but for now they are more than poor Hubby wants to tackle.

Fuzzy got a dental two weeks ago. She is feeling much better now. She lost five teeth, poor girl. The part we have enjoyed the most, is you can no longer smell her breath from across the room.

U-Joint from . . .

We spent three days with our "new" vehicle in pieces on the garage floor. It is nice to have a garage with house access for a change. Hubby learned a lot, and got more tools. The most painful education was how difficult it is to get around town when you don't have a car, and how little resources are actually available in this town. But, we are persistent and resourceful and now have a vehicle which runs better than it did at the beginning of the week. Now maybe I can focus on Halloween. I am running behind schedule this week.

A few more employment rejections for the week. The more we get, the closer we are to actual employment.

Oh the Fun of it All

We spent last week vehicle shopping. I'm really getting sick of used car lots. We got a newer vehicle last week and finally sold our, not so old to us, truck today. One should always think twice about their vehicle choices when there is a chance of moving from a non-emission testing state to an emission testing state. We do miss the "country" for sure. But now we are all legal and set, just waiting for the job. So, hubby is applying for one a couple of states away. It just makes it more fun that way.

Fuzzy went in for her annual, and she's healthy and still dropping pounds. If she keeps this up I wont be able to call her a chubby puppy any more. It does help her arthritis though, so we like that she is still getting the weight off. She is loving her yard, and doesn't even get too upset when we leave her home, though she is usually play doggy when we get home.

When we moved I cleaned out some of my Halloween decorations that I haven't been using as much. It was quite a shock to the system. Today, I'm very behind schedule, I started to put up the remainder of my Halloween decorations. I found out that the move was not so kind to my second witch. It leaked (water globe) and broke in the move. So now, as far as I can find in the mess of boxes, I seem to be lacking in Halloween decorations. I guess that is just an excuse to work and stocking back up in the coming years. I'm trying to convince Hubby to help carve a pumpkin tonight. So far he is looking for excuses to not help. I'll have to make it airplane themed for him, that should spark some interest.

Apply and Apply

Yep, no change. The Ward is good here and so are enjoying that. They proved to be efficient and attentive last week. They even brought a basket of goodies and veggies, which we have definitely enjoyed. So we keep waiting. And Fuzzy enjoys the yard and the finally cooling weather.

Fuzzy

Fuzzy is enjoying the change. She has a yard, which she has yet to break out of (amazing in itself). The yard is a pretty good size, lots of lawn and shade. It also has a pretty decent view around the area, so there is a lot to be seen. She even gets to perch on the deck and see more territory, as well as, watch everybody who is inside. Most of the house is carpeted, so she gets to run around and play, which was harder for her to do on wood floors. She thinks this is a pretty good trade, and the air conditioning doesn't hurt either. She's been getting lots of rides, though like the rest of us, she is often sick of the truck by the time we finish with the "ride".

The job hunt continues . . .

Laying Low in the South

We moved, it was completely miserable. The worst moving experience ever. We managed to stay in denial until 24 hours prior to closing. So now we are an hour south, staying in a friends house, looking for work and considering some additional educational options. The most fun we anticipate having this week is trying out the new washer and dryer tomorrow. Its a thrilling time. But today we have internet on the computer and phone service that isn't cell based.

We did take a drive on Monday into one of the mountain towns. It was nice to get back out of the heat and the town was pretty. It was very touristy though. Maybe someday we'll make a "shopping" trip, if we are here long enough.

For now, it is a question of how to make everything work through this transition, and get all the changes right, because we don't want to do this again.

Limbo Land

We were thrown a pacifier last week, its not a very tasty one. Hubby got a call from a neighbor, he had a job at a drill rig, to work as grunt. Hubby took it and now is on day three. The money is good, but it reminds me of how much I hate long tiring days, especially when mixed with long commutes. Having only the one vehicle, it has left me stranded. Which does leave me grateful for the wonderful friends that we have made here. Its only a temporary situation, a week more at the most, but we shall see just how much more we can take of the hours, work, and mess. Fuzzy Girl is missing him too, we really liked our little vacation where he was around a lot. We've had a lot of discussions about jobs and possibilities. This does really help to put things in perspective. I would rather live in a shack and have him home lots, then live in a mansion and have him gone for days to weeks at a time. Thus, some of the options for employment that scared me a week ago are sounding very appealing this week. But we wait. One week to vacation (and I will drag him if I have too) and just over two weeks to the move. I guess that means two weeks until we have to decide where we are moving. Our confidence is high, as are our hopes. Our Heavenly Father has richly blessed us with his support and love, we are well provided for in so many aspects. So, for this week we wait, work, and deal with the exhaustion and separation again.

Progress

Last week we had an offer on the house. Nine days on the market and we are under contract. It is a beautiful thing. Today the appraiser came through, which meant yesterday went from busy to crazy. About 10 o'clock last night we finally finished putting the closet back together. That means the home remodeling is finished. Sure, there are a few small bits left to do here and there. But now we can focus on cleaning (because this joint is completely filthy now), job hunting, and packing.

We've only had the one interview, and we have never heard back from them. Which could be unfortunate, and could be just fine, only time will tell. In theory we have four weeks before the next big step, but things could move faster than that. So we will continue to make good progress each day and be ready for sudden changes.

Fuzzy is enjoying having Hubby home all day, and I find it to be rather nice myself. So now we plug on, pray for jobs, and collect offers for places to live when we are jobless and don't own a home (the current count is three).

Long Drive

In the midst of hanging drywall, we opted for a "mini-vacation". We took off very early Thursday morning, almost Wednesday night, and drove for about seven hours. We took a couple of hours to drive around town, participate in a job interview, and talk to a local. Then we got back in the truck and drove seven more hours until we got home. What did we learn . . . 17 hour round trip, one day excursions are excruciatingly painful, and we will endeavor to never do that again. The area we visited is still beautiful, periodically crowded, and expensive. The truck has a much bigger gas tank than expected, but the gas gauge may not be entirely reliable. But we didn't run out of gas, so its all good. Fuzzy loved the drive and is enjoying the truck where she can lay down and look out the window, and if she is really lucky, then she'll even get wind in her fur too.

A New Adventure

As the story goes . . .

Hubby worked with a supervisor, who we will call Lamen, who took a dislike (for multiple reasons) to him. Now, understand, the other four supervisors that Hubby has worked with have found his job performance to range from good to outstanding. So this is all the power of one person with too much control. So, Lamen started making life difficult in June. The first few weeks of July worked turned from difficult to painfully miserable. It also came to the point that it was quit or be fired. This wasn't a decision we wanted to make, but, we didn't get that choice. So as of July 28th, Hubby is unemployed. Its a great opportunity for him to reassess his career field and the choices he makes. So we are looking at a lot of options right now.

As for me, I've got a few side jobs, but not enough to support us. The plan is to sell the car and sell the house and be debt free. Of course, this also leaves us homeless, though our parents don't like us to use that word. We have sold the car and bought an older truck. We've been putting the truck to good use already. We were in the middle of painting the main floor, remodeling the closet, and redoing the driveway approach. Its been a crazy, busy couple of weeks. We've got the main floor painted, it looks so much better. We have starting hanging sheetrock on the closet walls and hope to have it back together within a week. Then we can move on to lesser projects.
We hope that the home will sell quickly, and that the new job will follow shortly there after.

Its been really nice to spend the extra time together. In a few weeks we might even get to slow down enough to do something fun with the free time. Right now I just hope for the time to finish work for my clients and a little more sleep. We will try to keep this updated, by time for "playing" on the computer is very minimal, so there wont be regular updates.

Camp and Purgatory

I spent last week camping with teenage girls. It was fun and relaxing compared to homelife and work, especially when you consider Hubby's week. Briefly put, I went camping and he's gone to work in purgatory. We'll update you when that changes.

Where Did the Day Go

I feel like a productive chicken with its head cut-off. I put coat number two of mud on the kitchen this morning (I did take plenty off of the floor and counters while cleaning). Hubby is getting very anxious to get some of this stuff done. I haven't started swearing at him yet, but there are days. It will be nice to have a real coat of paint on the kitchen walls. But that wont happen for a couple of weeks yet. I should get it done before our next set of visitors, so that will be very nice. Next week I get to spend camping with a bunch of teenage girls. I had hoped to get out of it, since I'm now working with younger girls and not the teenagers, but alas, I'm stuck. It will be fun, but I'm a little nervous about leaving my house with Hubby. I'm not sure, but I don't think I've ever left him home alone before. Poor kid, I don't know how he will survive. Fuzzy is going to go "make friends" with some neighbors during the day. At least that is what we are hoping, we'll see how adventurous she gets.

I'm having a hard time getting stuff done on my paying projects. Its frustrating and I wont get anything done next week, which is just dismaying. I had wanted to finish two of them up this week before I left and I just don't know if I'm going to make it or not. I sure miss the days of waking up and saying, hmmm, what shall I do today, what would I like to do. sigh. Back to work . . . .

Ow!

I haven't had a chance to start on the kitchen yet, though it is slowly making its way up the to do list. I have three paying clients right now, yae. It is fun to try and work them into everything else. So far they have been keeping themselves spaced out just right. Saturday we finished hanging insulation in the attic space that was opened up for the closet remodel. Once we fix some wiring and put in a new light, then we can put walls back up. We may throw some built-ins into the mix, but it will just depend on how things go. It will be very nice to have a closet again. I've been spending a lot of time in the yard. There really isn't the money to make major improvements, but I'm so sick of it that I am cutting things back and putting in an cheap or free plants that I can find. I have thinned out the front planter bed, it still needs some weeding, and I put in a couple of annuals. Its horrible, I know, but they were free and they will provide some variety for this year. I have a fragrant flower mix, that was also free, that I am trying to put by the driveway. Silly me, I assumed that the dirt and rock mix was just a little rock. It has turned out to be two to three inches of rock on top of fabric (which would have been nice 20 years ago) that has been over run by dirt. I finally dug all of that out this morning. Now I've got to sort dirt and rock so that I can plant the seed mix. Maybe it will even produce flowers this year, wouldn't that be nice. For some reason my back hurts. I even cleaned out the rain gutters for the second time, every six months I guess. This time it included pulling a dandelion off of the roof. I don't feel so bad because the neighbor has a dandelion growing on his roof too.

Just too Much

Things have just been crazy. I managed to get the Breakfast Nook finished, just in time for the in-laws to visit. It is nice to have it all back together and my little plants enjoy having their sunny room back, the office really wasn't their thing. I have picked up three clients. One small design, on fair size design, and a small consult. They wont pay much, but they will pay and it is absolutely wonderful to be doing what I love and getting paid for it. Tonight I have a landscape presentation for the women at church. It should be interesting, as long as I can stay awake for it. Fuzzy and I went for a slow, long walk today. She's already working on her post walk nap. I think I slept through half of the walk. It is great to have family visit, but sometimes it can be exhausting. Its especially exhausting when you first have to get back to real life afterwards. It was nice to not worry about much for a week.

Hubby is in Fawn overload right now. No matter how much he tries to get the word out, people keep calling about fawns that are laying like they are dead and mom is no where around. Which is completely normal, but people just don't get it. It has boosted his overtime hours, which is always nice. But it is getting old and tedious.

Picture Day

Here is my little saw blade, all finished and hung on the wall. The trees could be better, but I do like the grass.










Here is the garden. Yae! Very small. We are trying an EarthBox this year. It will be interesting to see how the cucumbers like it. So far Fuzzy likes the fertilizer, sigh. So we will be spending the summer trying to keep her out of the box.

Rain, Tornados, Sunshine, and Gardens

Its been a busy, eventful week. Monday was gorgeous. Fuzzy and I spent a lot of time out in the yard. I enjoyed it and didn't even need pain killers afterward. I got all the branches from last week cleaned-up and on the park strip, finally. Just in time too, the city came back around in the afternoon and took them all away. Yae! We went to community plant sales on Saturday and came home with four cucumbers to go with the two tomatoes that followed me home from the Botanic Gardens. We gave up the idea of planting the south slope (due to soil, cars, and bunnies) and bought some more outdoor planters. The tomatoes got planted on Monday and have been spending the nights inside and the days outside. The cucumber planter is not stair friendly, so they have not been planted yet, but hopefully things will stay warmer now and I can plant them in a couple of weeks. When it seems more stable I'll plant and then they can hang out in the garage overnight if necessary. But the garage really isn't plant friendly.

Tuesday I managed to finish my saw blade. Its now hanging downstairs. I started working on a picnic quilt, but haven't come up with a new painting project yet. I need to find my some more "recycled" materials. I have a skirt I'm working on too. I'm very sick of my clothing, its time for some new stuff. We had some lovely severe thunderstorm activity in the afternoon and evening. Hubby spent much of the time watching news posts to see where the tornadoes were. I think the closest any got was nine miles south of town. Things weren't bad at all here, but Fuzzy and I practiced our tornado safety anyway. We need to beef-up the comfort level in the basement, that is for sure.

Yesterday was painful. I spent the morning back in the Nook, sanding. Some silly person put too much mud on the wall and I sanded half of it back off, quite the dust storm. Next week I will re-mud and re-sand. Maybe it will be paint-able by the beginning of June. Then I can start the Kitchen, oh boy.

Today was another peaceful morning at the gardens, ah. Its almost more therapeutic than the weekend. No plants followed me home today, Hubby will be so proud. I don't know where I would put them anyway. Fuzzy is looking forward to summer with walks and the dog park. She seems a little stir crazy, or maybe she is just crazy.

A Lovely Spring Day In May

There is nothing so homey as baking bread on a snowy day. It sure beats the rest of today. Our morning started out like this.









After a little bit of work, we managed to have a mess that looked like this.









Hubby was quite pleased to see this sight at lunch.









I was very excited when the city came and left me with a much smaller mess, and a lot of heavy lifting that I didn't have to do. Hubby will be very excited about it too.









Now the mess looks like this and I don't wonder why I'm tired. I only wonder how long it will be before I fall asleep.

Another Week

And things move along with nothing new and nothing different, just another week and trying to get things along. But the lawn mower is working, yae? The weather is unpredictable and threatening, so we will try the trimmer out another day. It is spring, things are growing and changing and crisp neat lawns are not necessary in my book, besides, tomorrow it might snow. It might snow a lot, and it might just sprinkle. The weather forecasters are just as crazy as the weather and I've learned to only believe the clouds and the wind.

Family

So, my sister entered my mother in a Creative Mother Contest by Michael's. Annoyance of all annoyance, its on Facebook. shiver. But, I being the good daughter and liking to make my mother feel loved, I sign-up for an account (I feel dirty). Needless to say, she deserves to win. So, for anyone interested in voting, here is the link. You can vote once a day.

http://apps.facebook.com/new-gifts/profile.php?id=1242

If you're really in to lots of daily voting then keep check on The Animal Rescue Site. They due shelter challenges every few months and will be starting a new one the middle of May. Of course, I highly recommend that you vote for Friends In Need from Eagle Mountain, Utah.

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Things go on, we have tulips (boring yellow, pink and white, and a pinkish purple) and the plants are really starting to leaf. We also have ants and lawn that has decided to grow. I guess I should get to that yard work now.

Distractions

So, I said that I would actually show the progress on my little saw blade. Its another attempt to further develop skills and to find ways to make money from home. I'm still getting used to the mentality here. They actually sell similar folk art objects at the fine art gallery downtown. Hubby didn't say much, but from what we have seen I'm at least as good. So maybe, if I can get a portfolio of work going, I might have a chance. But I get distracted with more immediate necessities, boring stuff like laundry and food. Well, food isn't that boring.

I made my first attempt at Hubby's favorite meal over the weekend. Having never seen Rouladen or Spaetzle made before, it was fair. This was not my first attempt at Spaetzle, but I think I may have it the next time. I've got better tools now, so it is just remembering what the right consistency of the dough is. The Rouladen was good, but lacking in the right flavor. I think it needed a little tweeking. I'm sure Hubby wont mind if I practice more.

This week we work on Mother's Day, as it occurred to me this weekend that Mother's Day was coming rather early this month. Maybe I'll get back to the saw blade next week. I keep trying.

Where Did I Go?

I didn't realize that I had dropped off for so long. We had a nice, but very short visit with family for a nephews wedding, between that at Young Women's, I lost the second week of April. The third week was crazy just catching up. Ah, and then there was (what I am calling) the fourth week. It was busy, Hubby was sick (still is), I tried his cold too (think it is finally leaving now), and then there was Young Women's (they never go away) and the Botanic Gardens (my brain wont let go of them). We had a Late-over with the Young Women, they loved it, Hubby hid, and the rest of us just tried to survive. It was fun, they may be a small group, but they are full of life.

So starting last week, I am spending one morning a week volunteering at the local Botanic Gardens. Mmmm, plants! It was a rainy, foggy, and then snowy day. We spent the morning inside planting seeds and transplanting seedlings. I've missed having plants to check on and play with, and yes, talk to. I know I've been missing it, and it is spring, but I left last week and have been just biding my time until I go back this week. There is something so therapeutic about plants and soil, nature. And of course, things are quiet there and you can set your stresses aside for a little while. Mmm, a little piece of heaven. And it is always nice to be hanging around people with training similar to mine, Master Gardeners training, Greenhouses, and a similar love of nature and plants. It was, in a sense, professionally therapeutic as well. Ah, but I have finally put in my application for my professional license here. I'll feel better, but hopefully it will help me find work too. Need more plants . . .

And now it is this week, many more things to do, including making Hubby feel special (something about a birthday) without drawing undue attention to him. But, he had a party for mine, so shouldn't I have some revenge. :-) We will also be playing games with friends this week, YAE Game Night. I miss playing games regularly with my parents, luckily there are a few young couples here that like games, they are young. But it is nice to have game people around.

Easter Conference Birthday

Oh what, were there really three things that happened yesterday, it was such a calm peaceful day after all. It has been a nice couple of days. Saturday was a little crazy as we broke our cable for connecting the laptop to the TV and thus spent the day camped out in the office and running around town trying to find a new cable. Ha, ha, ha. Old laptops and small towns just don't work that well together. Today we are preparing for our first BBQ of the season, and we get to break in a new grill while we are at it. Hubby is very excited, this one has legs and is at a comfortable height. We decided it was time for an "adult" BBQ, though it is still small by some standards. We'll have company, so Fuzzy is looking forward to the extra attention, and there will be a few people happy to sink their hands into her clean soft fur. She'll be thoroughly spoiled this week. We have a party tonight, the YW are coming over tomorrow night, and then it is off to visit family (very briefly) for a wedding. Its all more attention and treats for her. I guess its time to return to dish washing. I seem to have dirtied quite a lot of dishes yesterday, but it did taste mighty good.

Warmth

I have been waiting for today for months. It is the first day this year and since sometime in November or October (there were some warm days in November) that the house has not felt like a fridge. It was so nice that Fuzzy and I went for a morning walk. Its our first morning walk for some time too. It was so nice out that I wondered why I was wearing long sleeves, and then the breeze would pick up, its still spring. Things are not looking well for the upstairs, even though the furnace was coming on a little this morning, I've had to open windows to vent the upstairs. We were hoping that the insulation would help to keep things cooler in the summer. Its 70 outside, but I think it is already 80 upstairs, its definitely not long sleeve and pant with socks and shoes weather up there. Since it is spring though, they talking about a chance of snow for tomorrow night. I'm sure we still have one or two snow storms left and several cold mornings. But I will take the warmth and sunshine whenever I can get it.

Now, a short break before its time to start dinner, and then it is back to work. I just love those laundry and kitchen days, time just flies.

Progress in Pink

Well, its not spectacular and I need to work on my texturing techniques, but the bathroom is finally in a state of temporary completion. It looks so much better and is much brighter now that half of the walls are not gray. But it is primarily pink, and that is just weird. I did empty three cans of old paint getting it to this stage, so the storage area is looking much better. Oh, does it stink though. Last time I used low VOC paint, so it was more environmentally friendly and did not have a strong smell. This old stuff is horrible, I'm still suffering from paint fumes a day later. The Young Women are coming over tonight so I will have to start filling the air with pleasant sent to help mask the lingering odor. But, you can touch the walls without getting joint compound on you, so life is good. Once the Nook and Kitchen reach this stage, then we will work on painting the whole main floor, and the pink walls will go bye bye, as will the ice blue in the office. It does not do to paint a cold room a cold color. I swear this is one of the coldest rooms in the house.

Yesterday was warm and sunny. Today, its been snowing since morning. We have at least two inches that haven't melted. It is supposed to continue through the night. But Thursday will feel like spring again.

I keep pondering, how did I ever find the time in the day to spend nine or more hours in working outside the home. There is just too much to do for such things. Though, my independent prospects are starting to perk up, it must be this threatening thing called Spring.

Back to Normal

Hubby is back from warmer climates and life is back to normal. I have been focusing on completing projects last week and this week. Some day I might actually take some pictures again. I finally update my perpetual calendar. I've included Hubby's family, its just take a few years. Though it now dawns on me, I thought to remember every one in the family, except the new fiancee because I don't know how she spells her name. I have a tile for everyone now, except Hubby, minor detail. I shall have to go put his name on one. He's just special that way. I also have finished some stitcheries that have been sitting around since I was a teenager. I still need to figure out what I will do with them. I have other stitcheries that still need frames, but that is another issue. I finally got rid of my pile of bibs and burp cloths (long story) and no, that isn't an announcement. They did turn out well though. It is just nice to see the piles go down.

Spring?

Oh, its not really spring yet, but it does rather feel like it. See, for the past few days it has been almost warm and quite sunny. It was beautiful, Fuzzy and I thoroughly enjoyed our walks. It has been snowing all day today, yep, 50s yesterday, shoveling snow today. See it must be spring. It will be warmish again tomorrow, then they say rain, the sunny and warmish again. Its crazy, therefor it must be spring. And spring means PLANTS! No, I don't have spring fever and it hasn't turned into raging plant fever either. I'm determined to add at least three perennials and two shrubs to the yard this spring. I must have plants! I did mention I was feverish, right.

Yawn!

Springs coming, things are periodically thawing, and someday I'll find a financially beneficial productivity. I just hate consigning myself to days full of half pay and phone staring. Its soooo boring.

Maybe tomorrow I will mud the bathroom. Then I will soon be able to paint in there. Getting rid of the gray walls will brighten the room and a little bit of mud might make it slightly warmer. I'm just looking forward to the time that the walls stop radiating cold. I've never had a house that felt like this one.

No, its not a squash, its a Scotch Broom Flower. I just needed a picture.

Finding the Lost

For a month or so I've been looking for my Young Women medallions. Every time I would think they were gone I would remind myself that there were pins and coins that were missing as well, and that they would not have gotten left behind. Though it baffled me as to why I could find the first and the last, but not the middle two medallions. I even went through the storage boxes in the garage, thanks to some abnormally warm weather. Then, this morning, as I looked at a box of misc. greeting cards and said, gee, I really should see if that will fit back in the stamp box now. Back before I started this search I went through my stamp box and pulled out a box of recipes. They've been there for years and I finally decided that they should join the other recipes in a book, gee, doesn't that make sense. So I opened up the storage box, and look, there were the coins and pins, ooo, and with the pins was another little jewelry bag just like the one I found earlier. And yae, my missing medallions were in the bag. Now, the recipes are with the recipes, or are waiting to be typed. The medallions are in the jewelry box, amazing. The cards are with the stamps, that makes sense, and all the stencils are together in the drawing box. After years everything is found and organized. It makes today feel like a good day.

Today does need some help, it is colder today and snowing. I'm not complaining about the snow, this is the first real measurable snow we have had since December. We are in theory leaving mild winter for wild spring. We wont have blowing dust like "Just Jen", we'll probably have blowing snow. But, if it is like fall, then it will be blizzard one week, and 50s the next, variety is good.

Frustrations

I keep thinking that there is more I can be doing with myself and abilities. Yet, I never seem to get things out of the house. Last week I started working on making business cards, uugh. It was wonderful to sit down and sketch for a while. Of course, when everything was said and done, I ended up with a sketch from a few years ago. It was still fun and a worthy excuse. I set things up very technically so that everything would be just the way I wanted it. It still wont print perfectly. Several prints later, half the package of cards, and three programs; I have something slightly imperfect, but acceptable for the time being. I swear it should print right, but the printer seems to have issues with the paper. Now the image is off so slightly that I can't measure it to adjust, except that the top and bottom seem lined up, its just the center lines that don't line up. When I get the money and real business, I'll send the cards out for printing, its so worth it. It was fun to play in my art box, but it looks so empty without my markers, I kind of miss them. I may have to do a retrieval soon.

We had another gathering at our house for Valentine's Day, only it was on Saturday. We had all of 9 people here. It was a little disappointing, but it is so nice to have everything back in its place now.

I felt the warmth of the sun on my face today. I miss the warmth. Its been a mild winter so far, but as usual, I'm through with the cold and its only half way through February. And we're forecast for snow for the next three days. sigh, I'll just have to find a happy place to hide.

Calmness

Last week was kind of crazy and this week has just been busy. Our new modem did not come when it was supposed to. It took a two day vacation instead, I think it went to visit the neighbors, but we really don't know. Instead of coming Monday, it came Wednesday, just a few hours ahead of the replacement modem. Oh, the happiness of it all. But see, it doesn't end there, because for whatever reason the phone jack in the room with the computer was not properly connect. Wait another day, deal with the repair guy, who is the only reason we are still dealing with Qwest, and now we have functioning internet again. It does seem to be a little more stable than the previous service, so that is good. This week we got the new phone adapter, yae, and they didn't have any phone numbers in our area. Uuugh. We didn't want to keep our old number because we and the provided had failed to realize that it was for a town three hours away. It did defeat the purpose of having a local phone number. So, after some creative phone number games, and now we have an extra phone number, we are all switched over and set-up. YAE!

It seems that not much else has been going on. Though we did have 20-30 people over for dinner and socializing last Friday. We will be doing it again next week. It went well, good turn out, but way too much Pork. We spent hours shredding pork that was not ready to be shredded. It works and tastes so much better to do Kalua pork in the crockpot. Next weeks will be easier, no children, and I'm only doing a dessert. Desserts are more fun anyway. Maybe I will have time for something fun today. I think there has been too much work going on here.

Utility Companies

I know, it seems that I have dropped out of the world. Its just that there are always so many things to do, that talking to cyberspace keeps getting forgotten. Well, I suppose someone might really be out there.

I am spending the last week and this week remembering why I don't like cable/internet companies. We are trying to better use our money, and the cable company just raised out internet. Now, that might not be so bad, if the speeds were at all reliable, but they aren't. Some days it feels like we have dial-up. We've also discovered that our "local" phone number is "local" to a town three hours a way. Well, not that isn't very useful is it. So we are playing musical providers and phone numbers. Yipee! I'm thrilled.

So now we are back to dealing with one of my "favorite" companies, and that would be QWEST. Uuuugh! Last time they sold us a service that they could not provide to us, and then it took us four months to get the bill straightened out. So, we are supposed to start internet service with them today, its not up yet, and we don't have the modem. I arranged this the middle of last week. At the same time I wanted to sign up for an additional service that is offered through a branch of theirs. First rep says I need an account number, call back when I have one and the account is populated, usually the next day. So, next day I find an account number, I speak to rep 2, no, can't do anything until Monday and the service wont be complete for 1-2 weeks after I can add it on. It should be picking a number and flipping a switch, not complicated here. I think, this is bizarre, I call back the next day, rep 3 says call back Monday, but it should only take a week. Still crazy, but getting better. So I call back today, only two and a half hours to go before the promised completion. Rep 4 says, oh, we can't help you until the previous work order shows complete, its still pending. NOW WHY CAN'T REP 1, 2, OR 3 TELL ME THAT?! I'm about ready to strangle them, and I still don't have service. This does not look good for the next year or two. Oh ya, and the prices and fees keep changing from rep to rep and the internet. My first month has bounced from 131 to 60 to 115, I have no idea what the first bill will actually look like. At this rate it will be over 200, because I really don't think anyone knows what they are doing.

I have gotten to work on my sawblade, I'm contemplating the sky right now. And Hubby has me working on airplane drawings for him, so maybe I'll be making a little model airplane this week. Just think happy thoughts, find my little happy place . . .

Clean Air Again

My body is so happy to be home that its sleeps and my throat stopped hurting halfway between family and home. We'll blame it on the smog because family has never made me ill before. It is so nice to look down the street and see clear images. Oh, and smelling the crisp winter air in place of vehicle exhaust is wonderful.

We had a good trip, lots of good gifts, but most of all it was best just to see family and friends. Fuzzy enjoyed all the attention, except for the little incident with the fence. She sustained no injuries and was only a little sore the next day from it. I can't help but wonder if the cat was really worth it, she'll never know.

Hubby is suffering from reality, work did not go on vacation while he was gone. They are in hyperdrive for this week and hopefully everyone will survive.